Rivalling eyes on Balochistan

Rivalling eyes on Balochistan
M Jamil

Balochistan: the mineral-rich and strategically-located province – is very much in the rivalling international eyes, with world powers and regional countries eyeing it avariciously to push it into their own orbits of influence and domination.

According to political and defence analysts, the US, Russia, India and even Iran are either directly or indirectly widening the ethnic and sectarian schisms in Balochistan and FATA. Iran, a brotherly state, must realize that it has a large Baloch population on its side of border with Pakistan and the Indian desire of weakening Pakistan by creating independent Balochistan will cost heavily to Iran itself, as the map of Greater Balochistan also includes Sistan province as well. According to a news report carried by national English daily, more than 100 Pakistani Baloch dissidents have been sent to India by the Indian consulate located in Kandahar (Afghanistan) for six-month training. “We have credible reports that the Indian consulate in Kandahar dispatched more than 100 Pakistani Baloch dissidents during the second week of December 2009 for six-month training in India,” an intelligence source told the English daily on condition of anonymity.

Reportedly, upon completion of training under the Indian trainers, half of the strength of the anti-Pakistan elements would report to Commander Abdul Raziq, in charge of Sarhadi Leva (border police) in Spin Boldak close to Chaman while the remaining strength would be placed under Sarhadi Leva post commander in Shorawak district of Kandahar. Balochistan has been in the throes of tribal, ethnic and sectarian strife for quite some time but insurgency escalated on completion of Phase-I of Gwadar project when Chinese engineers were made subject of attacks by Baloch insurgents. In fact, the US, Russia, Iran and India do not wish to see Balochistan to become a trading hub; however India is playing a pivotal role to destabilize Pakistan.

There is strong evidence of Indian support in planning, commissioning and preparing acts of terrorism through setting ‘26 centres’ of terrorism along the western border in Afghanistan. Reports indicated that explosives were brought in by Indian Border Roads Organizations under the garb of reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Afghanistan through Iran to be used for sabotage acts in Balochistan.

Balochistan is located on the northern tip of Strait of Hormuz through which much of the world’s oil supply passes. It is endowed with rich natural resources with an estimated 19 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves and 6 trillion barrels of oil reserves. Therefore, some countries are trying to weaken Pakistan from within and focusing on FATA, NWFP and Balochistan. Even international media have reported that insurgency in Balochistan is being supported by the RAW from Indian consulates along the Pak-Afghan border, and Indian consulates are being used by Indian intelligence agencies for dispatching trained militants in Balochistan. The Khan of Kalat while forming the ‘Council for Independent Balochistan’ in London had said: “He is enjoying the support of like-minded’ and friendly countries who had promised him all help and cooperation”. It is in this backdrop that the US Under-secretary of State for political affairs William Burns in a statement asked India to trim its consulate in Jalalabad in Afghanistan, which is acknowledgement of eidetic reality about India’s designs. The Khans of Kalat always maliciously propagated that Balochistan was all along an independent state, while the historical evidence suggested otherwise. In fact, Balochistan came under British jurisdiction ever since 1840, and at the time of partition Kalat was only one of the four divisions, and he announced independence of that part of Balochistan against the will of its people. To identify the causes or genesis of Balochistan’s problem, it is important to understand the situation during British Raj. In 1877, at the proclamation of Queen Victoria as Empress, about 700 princely states enjoyed treaty relations with the British Crown. British India had appointed regents (Britons) in the princely states to oversee the nawabs and also that no rebellion-like situation emerges. By the Indian Independence Act 1947, the British gave up the suzerainty of the states and left to the free will of each to merge with India or Pakistan. And there was no concept of independent princely states or regions in the plan for partition of the subcontinent.

It goes without saying that people of Balochistan have the first right over minerals and natural resources of Balochistan, and major part of the income from these assets should be spent on the welfare of the people of Balochistan. Baloch sardars should be given their share out of the income that accrues from gas, oil or copper from the resources found in their respective areas. And they are getting it. It is unfortunate that some sardars are not willing to accept less than independence, and they openly talk about secession. Akhtar Mengal, Shahzain Bugti and Mir Byar Marri do not hide their ambitions of having an independent Balochistan. But no state worth its name would turn a blind eye to the efforts aimed at disintegrating the country and hold talks with such elements.

Those who insist that the government should have talks with them, should first ask these leaders to wean away from secessionist tendencies. In many countries of the world such contradictions exist and that are resolved through talks. But three Baloch Sardars insist that Balochistan was never part of Pakistan, which is travesty of the truth.

In November 2009, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had announced Balochistan Package and placed a ban on the construction of new military cantonments in Balochistan, general amnesty for the armed activists of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and talks offer to three rebel leaders – Mir Herbiyar Murree, Barahamdagh Bugti and Attaullah Khan Mengal, in his speech in the parliament. The Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani had reportedly endorsed the new package after the Prime Minister Gilani sat down with him and ISI Chief General Shuja Pasha to discuss all the important points of this package concerning the role of military in Balochistan. It was decided by the government that the military would not construct new cantonments in the province, however, the two old cantonments would stay functional. Likewise, it was decided that the heads of the Balochistan and Gawadar Authority would be from Balochistan and no outsider would be appointed there.

Anyhow, in an effort to heal the wounds of the past, a 39-point ‘Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan’ package was approved at a joint sitting of the Parliament. Some nationalists and a few members of opposition parties have not appreciated the spirit in which the package has been approved. And some Baloch sardars rejected the package even before its details were made public. Anyhow, recommendations in the package were divided over five categories: constitutional, political, administrative, economic and monitoring mechanism. It proposed the facilitation of the return of political exiles, immediate release of political workers and political dialogue with all stake-holders.

The package included setting up of a fact-finding commission to investigate into the circumstances that led to the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti and stopping the construction of cantonments in Sui and Kohlu, withdrawing the armed forces from these areas. It is a gesture of goodwill and commitment to undo the injustices of the past; therefore Baloch sardars should wean away from secessionist tendencies and reciprocate, which will be in their interest as well as in the interest of the people of Balochistan.